Greater weight loss seen with prepackaged diet foods

Obese participants who followed a weight-loss plan that featured portion-controlled, prepackaged diet foods lost 16.5 pounds in six months, compared with 8.4 pounds in those who received diet advice but ate regular foods, according to a study in the International Journal of Obesity. Researchers also noted larger reductions in waist size, cholesterol levels and body fat in participants who ate the prepackaged foods than in those who ate regular meals.